Loophole in scholarship system?
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Got this article from http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/
Anybody knows whether the info in bold is true?
Explaining a discrepancy.....
“Mr Gan said 28,000 Singapore students applied to
the universities this year and half of them were offered places. In contrast, 23,000 foreign students applied and only 987 or 4.3 percent were given places” -
Channel News Asia, 18 Jul 2007
“international students now make up about 20% of NTU’s undergraduate population and about 33% of its graduate population…the National University of Singapore (NUS) said about 20% of its 23,900 undergraduates and about 50% of its 9,100 postgraduate students are from overseas…the number of permanent residencies (PRs) awarded last year rose to 57,300 – a 9.6% increase from 2005 and a 55.3% increase from 2004”- Business Times of 26 May 2007.
The people I spoke to who graduated from NUS & NTU, stared at me in disbelief when I mentioned these numbers - only 4.3% of the foreigners who applied got into our universities. They were sure there are lot more foreign students than the 987 our esteemed minister said were successful with their applications.
Of course our Minister of State for Eduction Mr. Gan did not lie when he say only 4.3% of foreign students who applied to our universities got a place. One plausible explanation is the rest got into our unversities because they were offered scholarship and hence did not need to apply for a place in our universities.
As Singapore aspires to be an education hub, we cannot expect top foreign students to apply to our universities like locals - they have to be invite to our universities through offers of scholarship.
I met a lecturer from one of our universities the other day. He said many foreign students take advantage of a loophole in their scholarship requiring them to work 3 years in Singapore before leaving for other countries. They simply claim that they are unable to find jobs for 6 months and they are allowed to leave - thus getting a free education at the expense of Singaporeans!! Wah so smart...no wonder our beloved govt like them so much to give them free scholarship while Singaporeans like myself struggled through my university giving tuition on weekends and make ends meet by taking up bank loans for my fees. I took 5 years to clear my education debt after I got my 1st class honours from NUS. I guess my govt was afraid that I wasn't challenged enough.....to this day I'm still thankful for the challenges they gave me. I guess they are kind enough to reserve such challenges for Singaporeans while foreign students are given scholarships and denied the benefit of shouldering the financial burdens that Singaporeans received. -
welcome to Singapore Foreigners!
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Not many people believe these "official" numbers issued by the people at the top anymore.
Really.
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Is there really such a loophole present?
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They had to offer better terms to foreigners than locals.
What? That the foreigners are too stupid to sign the terms for local scholarships for locals? -
We should bring this up to ST, and demand for an answer.
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I've heard of some loopholes exploited. Some even have relatives setting up companies here and then sending them elsewhere for work.
Imagine how much they saved at the expenses of Singaporeans! -
Majority of the foreign students chose to left here for other countries after finihsing their bond with the companies.Originally posted by bigmouthjoe:I've heard of some loopholes exploited. Some even have relatives setting up companies here and then sending them elsewhere for work.
Imagine how much they saved at the expenses of Singaporeans! -
yup...my china friend told me this too. Although he says he is going to work here (and i believe him) he says he knows many others who do not want to do tt and choose to be unemployed...basket..then scholarships for locals need to tie up to 5 yrs? wf is this man..
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been there for as long as i know. and I knew it 10 yrs ago.Originally posted by linchiling:Is there really such a loophole present? -
The quality b brand name of the local education system enable many foreigners to be employed or looked ur by others back in their countries.Originally posted by Xtrider:yup...my china friend told me this too. Although he says he is going to work here (and i believe him) he says he knows many others who do not want to do tt and choose to be unemployed...basket..then scholarships for locals need to tie up to 5 yrs? wf is this man.. -
upz this thread to 50+ pages can liaoOriginally posted by Darkness_hacker99:We should bring this up to ST, and demand for an answer. -
damn.......... and nothing done for the past 10 yrs?!?!?!Originally posted by mistyblue:been there for as long as i know. and I knew it 10 yrs ago.
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Cause we have first world gov.Originally posted by linchiling:damn.......... and nothing done for the past 10 yrs?!?!?! 
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The idea of having foreign student is to encourage them to work here n make Spore their place to live permanently.Originally posted by linchiling:damn.......... and nothing done for the past 10 yrs?!?!?! -
and when there are here permanently, to help make babies to help increase birth rate.Originally posted by will4:The idea of having foreign student is to encourage them to work here n make Spore their place to live permanently. -
Partially correct cause the present generation of local refused to have babies n the govt is quite worried about the rate of migration among the local nOriginally posted by qlqq9:and when there are here permanently, to help make babies to help increase birth rate.
ageing population. -
correct me if I am wrong, somehow just find that there are more and more foreign students here on scholarship.Originally posted by will4:Partially correct cause the present generation of local refused to have babies n the govt is quite worried about the rate of migration among the local n
ageing population. -
i have no idea about the increase in foreign student population in the university or the polytechic. If u read the ST, the headline went toOriginally posted by qlqq9:correct me if I am wrong, somehow just find that there are more and more foreign students here on scholarship.
put like this: Local student "get priority" in local university. What do the open n close bracket indicate. U get the meaning? -
PRCs > Local Peasants
That's how our govt sees it. -
I am talking about foreign students on scholarship>Originally posted by will4:i have no idea about the increase in foreign student population in the university or the polytechic. If u read the ST, the headline went to
put like this: Local student "get priority" in local university. What do the open n close bracket indicate. U get the meaning? -
There is a sizeable PRC students in teh universities. They formed the majoirty of the foreign student population to be offered scholarship.Originally posted by Sagara:PRCs > Local Peasants
That's how our govt sees it. -
The majority of them from PRC but they quite bright in their study.Originally posted by qlqq9:I am talking about foreign students on scholarship> -
why majority from PRC, did gahmen explain why?Originally posted by will4:The majority of them from PRC but they quite bright in their study. -
One likely reason is to increase the Chinese population cause the local Chinese population not interested to give birth.Originally posted by qlqq9:why majority from PRC, did gahmen explain why?